Search - Crusell, Pay, Orch of the Age of Enlightenment :: Clarinet Concertos 1-3

Excellent period performances

Larry VanDeSande | Mason, Michigan United States | 05/01/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"There are now many excellent performances of the three Crusell clarinet concertos including those by Per Billman and Emma Johnson that have been praised highly in the Penguin Guide and Third Ear. If you enjoy this music you should not bypass this work by Antony Pay, a British player using a period instrument. Technically, his work is second to none with runs that are crisp and have remarkable elocution. In the woodwind business they call this "tounging". In addition, there is a more romantic sensibility in the accompanying tuttis than in other recordings, making the musical experience more complete. Among chief competitors, Billman performs just about as well on a modern instrument, with a modern band backing him up. Johnson has been greatly praised for the infectious joy she brings, but her playing cannot match Pay or Billman in executions. The Pay version is also the only period performance of the Crusell concertos, if that matters to you. It is not an anemic version, however, but more full-blooded than its competitors. For me, this recording is superior to the Billman on Naxos."